Slight dip in Sunderland out-of-work claimant count

The number of people receiving out-of-work benefits in Sunderland fell slightly last month.
The latest employmemt figures have been releasedThe latest employmemt figures have been released
The latest employmemt figures have been released

There were 5,945 claimants in April, down from 5,980 the previous month.

Employment in the North East stands at 1,233,000 or 73.6% - an increase of 14,000 over the quarter and 14,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 75.6% nationally.

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North East unemployment stands at 63,000 or 4.9% - a fall of 6,000 over the quarter and 13,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 4.2% nationally.

North East Chamber of Commerce policy adviser Paul Carbert said: “These statistics show our employment rate is now at a record high which is a great testament to all of the hard work and determination of our North East businesses. It is also excellent news that the gap between the North East employment rate and the national average has been closing.

“We have called on the Government to ensure that rising employment is sustainable and translated into long-term gains for productivity. Our members need them to invest in improvements to transport infrastructure in the North East, give greater flexibility on apprenticeships and training, commit to stable funding for technical education, and improve careers advice.”

North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Senior Economist Victoria Sutherland added: “We are pleased to see the continued improvement in the North East labour market over the last quarter,” she said. “This builds on the progress we have seen over the last year.

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“There are 25,000 more people aged 16 to 64 in employment than three months ago and 31,000 more than a year ago.

“The particularly strong improvement in employment over the last quarter has resulted in the employment rate for 16 to 64 year olds increasing from 72.0% to 73.6%. This is the largest increase of any of the UK regions and a record high for the region.

“There has been a substantial improvement in recent months in the unemployment rate which has decreased from 5.3% last quarter to 4.9% this quarter. The decrease over the year has been even greater – with unemployment this time last year being 5.9%.

“The North East LEP will continue to work with its partners to deliver the Strategic Economic Plan’s ambition for more and better jobs for our region.”